Sunday, December 30, 2007

Urbi et Orbi

Found this, just for those of us who are TVless or who were celebrating the liturgy when it was broadcast. I am not sure whether the Indulgence works with a recording. As all broadcast are slightly delayed, ...well just how cold can the turkey get?

9 comments:

I assume you are joking regarding the Indulgence? If I could gain plenary Indulgences by watching recorded Urbi et Orbi blessings, I could gain them as often as I want to. But should there really be any doubt, no. 4 of the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum clearly says regarding the papal blessing that the faithful gains the indulgence, who "devote acceperit [sc. benedictionem], etsi, rationabili circumstantia, sacris ritibus physice non adfuerit, dummodo ritus ipsos, dum peraguntur, ope instrumenti televisifici vel radiophonici propagatos pia mentis intentione secutus fuerit.".

I don't think that Enchiridion actually answers it, "whilst making pilgrimage", certainly but also with "instrumenti televisifici" or "radiophonici propagatos" and why not "tubus tuorum", providing one has the right intention?

I suppose one could still get it from a video of Pius XII, or is that real cold Turkey.

I think you have misread my quote from the Enchiridion. The passage I highlighted says that the indulgence is gained by the faihtful who, not present for a reasonable cause at a Papal Blessing, devotedly follows the rites through TV or radio "dum peraguntur", i.e. "while they are being performed". So, watching a video does not gain you the plenary indulgence.

In the context of receiving the papal blessing "Urbi et Orbi", one can only unite oneself with the sacred rites while they are being performed, (dum peraguntur,) not after they have been performed.

Those who for a good reason cannot be pysically present may unite themselves with the sacred rites (dum peraguntur) even through the medium of television and radio transmission.

One could not gain the papal blessing or Indulgence if one arrived in St. Peter's Square five minutes after the event.

Likewise, one could not gain the papal blessing or Indulgence by watching a video five minutes after the event.

This does however raise the intriguing question :

At what distance can one receive the Indulgence "ope instrumenti televisifici" ?

On the planet Mars, for instance ?

I forget the speed at which television signals travel, but they would take a good deal longer than five minutes to reach Mars, which means a television viewer on that planet could not unite himself with the sacred actions "dum peraguntur".

I’ve been thinking about Beroliniensis’ comments about gaining the indulgence for the papal blessing. She has a good point.

Last Easter, I got up very early (here in Canada) to watch a live broadcast of the papal blessing streamed by Vatican Radio to gain the indulgence. This Christmas, I decided not to interrupt my kids ripping open their presents at 6:30AM and I watched a recording of the papal blessing that was put up on Youtube at around noon (my time) hoping that this would still qualify for the indulgence.

Although I’m the first to criticize the “Spirit of Vatican II,” I wonder if there is some latitude here to apply the “Spirit of the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum” and receive the indulgence for the papal blessing if one watches a recording of the event at some point on Christmas or Easter Day, notwithstanding the “dum peraguntur” stipulation.

I say this because, on glancing through the norms section of the Enchiridion (in English), I see that there is a degree of flexibility around indulgences attached to particular times and occasions. For example, norm 18: “A visit to a church or oratory, if required to gain an indulgence attached to a certain day, can be made from noon of the preceding day to midnight at the close of the day itself.” Norm 34 is very interesting: “Confessors can commute either the prescribed work or conditions, in favour of those who, because of a legitimate impediment, cannot perform the work or fulfil the conditions.”

It would be interesting to hear from any priest reading this blog with special expertise in the field of indulgences as to whether (for example) living outside the European timezone constitutes a “legitimate impediment” to tuning in live to the Pope’s blessings at Christmas and Easter.

as well below is the link for the whole urbi et orbi message as well as the Blessing on video, a bit better quality..and Catholic site as well.pax!one without tv can always look here for vatican/Papal videos.http://www.lovetobecatholic.com/video_798_Multi-Lingual_ChristMas_Greetings~Pope.html-http://www.lovetobecatholic.com/video_listing.php?cat_id=43-

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